Ed Donatell Fired by Vikings After 1 Season as Defensive Coordinator

After their early playoff exit, the Minnesota Vikings are making some changes to their coaching staff.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Thursday that the team has fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, who joined the franchise upon O'Connell's hiring prior to the 2022 season.

"While this was a difficult decision because of the tremendous respect I have for Ed as a person and a coach, I believe it is the right move for the future of our football team," O'Connell stated.

Minnesota's season came to an end with a 31-24 loss to the New York Giants in an NFC Wild Card Game last Sunday. Giants running back Saquon Barkley scored the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and the Vikings' final drive ended with a checkdown pass by Kirk Cousins that was well short of the first-down marker.

The Vikings went 13-4 this season and won the NFC North for the first time since 2017, but their defense was far from the reason for their success. Minnesota ranked 31st in the NFL after giving up an average of 388.7 yards per game to opponents. The team was particularly bad at stopping the passing attack, allowing 265.6 yards through the air. The Vikings also allowed an average of 25.1 points per game, which ranked near the bottom of the league.

Minnesota had a strong offense that averaged 361.5 yards and 24.9 points, so fixing the defense is undoubtedly a top priority this offseason. O'Connell will have to make the right decision if he hopes to lead the Vikings to another division title and some elusive playoff success in 2023.